1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus which removes residual toner and the like from the surface of a photosensitive member used in electrophotographic copy machines and the like.
2. Description of Related Arts
Image forming apparatus of conventional electrophotographic copy machines which repeat a process wherein a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive member is transferred to a transfer medium must clean residual toner, paper particles and talc from the surface of said photosensitive member after each transfer process. Accordingly, a variety of conventional cleaning apparatus have been proposed, such as cleaning blade, cleaning roller, fur brush, web and the like. Among the aforesaid devices, a cleaning roller disposed upstream of a cleaning blade has also been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,092. In the cleaning apparatus disclosed in the aforesaid patent, a cleaning roller supplements the cleaning action of a cleaning blade, and performs the function of transporting the residual toner and other material scraped off by said cleaning blade to a toner sump portion without said waste toner escaping to the interior of the copy machine. Toner on the cleaning roller is removed therefrom by a scraper which rides in pressure contact with said cleaning roller, the toner then being transmitted to a toner sump.
In the cleaning apparatus disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,092 which provides a cleaning roller in addition to a cleaning blade, when foreign material originating from the copy paper, plastic components within the machine, textile fragments from the drive belt or the like become interposed between the photosensitive member and said cleaning roller, or between the scraper and said cleaning roller, the surface of the photosensitive member is incompletely cleaned causing the surface of said member to be damaged and preventing appropriate copy images from being made. Thus, uniform cleaning cannot be accomplished when the aforesaid foreign matter induces irregularities to form on the surfaces of the photosensitive member and cleaning roller as a result of the pressure contact between said surfaces while the cleaning roller is rotated with said foreign matter interposed therebetween, thereby causing the production of ghost images, streaking, uneven density, and fogging to appear on the copy paper.